Pharmacy bottle system and method

Abstract

A pharmacy bottle system includes a bottle and a ring. The bottle is formed as a single piece of molded plastic material and includes a body and a neck. The body defines an interior cavity. The interior cavity extends from a first end to a second end of the interior cavity. The body includes a spine portion covering the first end of the interior cavity. The spine portion defines a spine width measured from a front to a back of spine portion. The neck extends from the second end of the interior cavity and has an opening therethrough providing access to the interior cavity. The ring is secured about the neck of the bottle. The ring defines a ring width measured between a front and a back of the ring. The ring width is larger than the spine width. The neck extends above a top surface of the ring.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pharmacy bottle system comprising:
 a bottle formed as a single piece of molded plastic material, the bottle including:
 a body defining an interior cavity therein, the interior cavity extending from a first end of the interior cavity to a second end of the interior cavity, wherein the body includes a spine portion covering the first end of the interior cavity, and the spine portion defines an exterior spine width measured from a front of the spine portion to a back of spine portion, and 
 a neck extending from the second end of the interior cavity, the neck having an opening therethrough providing access to the interior cavity, wherein the neck defines an exterior neck width measured from a front of the neck to a back of the neck, and the exterior neck width is greater than the exterior spine width; and 
 
 a ring secured about the neck of the bottle, wherein the ring defines an exterior ring width measured between a front of the ring and a back of the ring, the exterior ring width is larger than the exterior spine width, and the neck extends above a top surface of the ring. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes:
 a front portion that is substantially planar and extends away from the spine portion, 
 a rear portion that is substantially planar and positioned opposite the front portion, the rear portion extending away from the spine portion, and 
 side portions each extending between the front portion and the rear portion opposite one another and away from the spine portion such that the interior cavity is defined between the front portion, the rear portion, and the side portions. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the body includes a shoulder extending from each of the front portion, the rear portion, and the side portions over the second end of the interior cavity to the neck, and 
 the spine portion extends from and between the front portion, the rear portion, and the side portions. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the shoulder defines an exterior shoulder width measured from a front of the shoulder to a rear of the shoulder, and 
 the exterior shoulder width is larger than the exterior spine width. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 3 , wherein a bottom of the ring is positioned immediately adjacent the shoulder. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cap formed separately from each of the bottle and the ring, the cap being releasably secured about the neck of the bottle and covering the opening of the neck, and the cap being positioned adjacent the ring opposite the shoulder of the bottle. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the cap defines an exterior cap width measured between a front of the cap and a back of the cap, and 
 the exterior cap width is substantially equal to the exterior ring width. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a label extending over at least a portion of the body, the label identifying a medication name and a patient name corresponding with a medication that will be maintained within the interior cavity of the body. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , further comprising the medication maintained within the interior cavity of the body. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the body includes:
 a front portion that is substantially planar and extends away from the spine portion, and 
 a rear portion that is substantially planar, positioned opposite the front portion, and extends away from the spine portion, and 
 
 the label extends over the front portion, the rear portion, and the spine portion of the body. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the bottle is a first color, 
 the ring is a second color different from the first color, 
 the second color is assigned by a pharmacy to an individual having the patient name, and 
 the second color is used by the pharmacy to visually distinguish the bottle to be filled with medication prescribed to the individual from one or more bottles containing medication prescribed to one or more other individuals living in a single household with the individual having the patient name. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the second color is one of a plurality of available ring colors and at least one other one of the plurality of available ring colors is assigned by the pharmacy to a second individual living in the single household. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ring is a single, annular piece and only extends around the neck of the body of the bottle, and the ring is resilient and removably mounted around the neck of the body by sliding the ring over the neck of the body. 
     
     
       14. A method of forming a pharmacy bottle system, the method including:
 selecting a bottle formed as a single piece of molded plastic material, the bottle including:
 a body defining an interior cavity therein, the interior cavity extending from a first end of the interior cavity to a second end of the interior cavity, wherein the body includes a spine portion covering the first end of the interior cavity, and the spine portion defines an exterior spine width measured from a front of the spine portion to a back of spine portion, and 
 a neck extending from the second end of the interior cavity, the neck having an opening therethrough providing access to the interior cavity, wherein the body defines a shoulder covering the second end of the interior cavity around the neck; and 
 
 sliding an annular ring over the neck of the bottle to position the ring around the neck and directly adjacent to the shoulder, wherein the ring defines an exterior ring width measured between a front of the ring and a back of the ring, the exterior ring width is larger than the exterior spine width, and the neck extends above a top surface of the ring. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving, at a pharmacy, a prescription for a medication prescribed for an individual living in a single household; and 
 selecting the ring from a plurality of available rings provided in a plurality of ring colors, the ring being selected to have a first color of the plurality of ring colors, wherein the first color was previously assigned by the pharmacy to the individual, and other ones of the plurality of ring colors are assigned by the pharmacy to other individuals living in the single household; 
 wherein selecting the bottle includes selecting the bottle from a plurality of available bottle sizes depending upon a quantity and a size of the medication prescribed for the individual. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the shoulder is positioned opposite the spine, 
 the shoulder defines an exterior shoulder width measured from a front of the shoulder to a rear of the shoulder, and 
 the exterior shoulder width is larger than the exterior spine width, and 
 securing the ring about the neck of the bottle positions a bottom of the ring immediately adjacent the shoulder. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 releasably securing a cap about the neck of the bottle to cover the opening of the neck, wherein the cap is formed separately from each of the bottle and the ring, and the cap is positioned adjacent the ring opposite the shoulder of the bottle. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein releasably securing the cap includes selecting the cap having an exterior cap width measured between a front of the cap and a back of the cap that is substantially equal to the exterior ring width. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 printing a label identifying a name of the medication and a name of the individual; 
 securing the label over at least three sides of the body including a side of the body facing away from the neck; and 
 dispensing the medication into the interior cavity of the body.